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Iran joins nuclear technology club
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| extacy_bomb |
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Iran joins nuclear technology club
AM - Wednesday, 12 April , 2006 08:00:37
Reporter: Matt Brown
TONY EASTLEY: Iran has announced that it's joined the club of nations with nuclear technology, and in doing so has put new fire and concern into the international debate about Iran's nuclear intentions.
The Iranian President's dramatic statement came as a surprise.
(sound of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaking)
MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD (translated): I'm announcing officially that Iran has now joined the countries which have nuclear technology. This is a very historic moment and it's thanks to the Iranian people and their beliefs. This is the start of progress for our country.
TONY EASTLEY: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insists Iran's ability to enrich uranium to make nuclear fuel is purely for civilian use, not for the production of nuclear weapons.
But Western powers fear that Iran is developing a nuclear bomb and the US has responded to the latest news by saying that Iran is "moving in the wrong direction".
Matt Brown is the ABC's Middle East Correspondent.
(to Matt Brown) Matt, up until now there's been some speculation about Iran's capabilities, but the President seems to have made it crystal clear.
MATT BROWN: He has Tony.
This has been one of the most contentious issues in the Middle East and indeed the world. Iran's an avowed enemy of Israel, it has missiles that can reach Jerusalem and capitals in Europe and it's got a hardline Shi'ite Muslim leadership in control. So how close have they been to producing a nuclear weapon despite international efforts to rein them in?
They've given a decisive answer today in a three-pronged public relations offensive.
First, the head of the nuclear energy agency announced that Iran's enriched uranium to 3.5 per cent purity. He says that paves the way for enrichment on an industrial scale.
Then the hardline President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged the nation's nuclear officials to step up their production of nuclear fuel, and the former president said that a controversial nuclear facility where centrifuge machines linked together in a sort of cascade have been used to enrich the uranium had been involved in the process.
TONY EASTLEY: So what's the significance of this do you think, both for the region and for the world?
MATT BROWN: There are two basic areas, technical and political.
On the technical side, they are claiming enrichment only to the level required for nuclear energy. That's what Tehran says this is all about – energy not a nuclear bomb.
But enrichment in itself is a very complex technical process. If this is true, it's an important milestone. It's one of those technical moments where a new world of possibilities opens up. Even though Iran says that this is only about peaceful use of nuclear energy, this a new era in the Middle East.
TONY EASTLEY: And what about the political significance of it Matt?
MATT BROWN: On the political side, a lot this technology has been developed in secrecy – that's angered the international community.
The Russians have been helping Iran with their nuclear energy program and they're reluctant about sanctions. And the Europeans have important trade links – they're reluctant too to take action against Iran, but together with the United States and in the International Atomic Energy Agency, they've all set a deadline for the end of this month for Iran to prove that it has peaceful intentions and to stop the enrichment process in its tracks.
Indeed, the head of the IAEA, Mohammed ElBaradei was due to visit Iran tomorrow in the lead-up to making a crucial report about his process. Well Iran has just thumbed its nose at all of them and raised the stakes considerably.
TONY EASTLEY: Matt Brown.
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| extacy_bomb |
The conditions are getting worse everyday.
I really don't know what this crazy presedent is up to.
I wanna see what will be the national unions response to this. |
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| GQ_IRAQI |
| meh we're pure hypocrits to stop everyone else from developing nuclear technology when we have it ourselves... are we on sum sort of pedestal that makes us special? if we want the world to stop... we gotta throw away our nukes... and i dont see that happening any time soon... |
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| spitty |
| quote: | Originally posted by GQ_IRAQI
meh we're pure hypocrits to stop everyone else from developing nuclear technology when we have it ourselves... are we on sum sort of pedestal that makes us special? if we want the world to stop... we gotta throw away our nukes... and i dont see that happening any time soon... |
um. isn't canada is a nuke-free country. i thought that we never made them ouselves, even though at one point we housed some for the americans, but that was years ago (1984??)
Canada also signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1970 and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty which Canada signed in 1996.
there are seven countries that are known to have exploded nuclear weapons; the United States of America, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India and Pakistan, while Israel is suspect. canada is definitely not on that list |
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| Plump Funk |
| quote: | Originally posted by spitty
um. isn't canada is a nuke-free country. i thought that we never made them ouselves, even though at one point we housed some for the americans, but that was years ago (1984??)
Canada also signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1970 and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty which Canada signed in 1996.
there are seven countries that are known to have exploded nuclear weapons; the United States of America, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India and Pakistan, while Israel is suspect. canada is definitely not on that list |
i think GQ_Iraqi is talking about nuclear power not nuclear weapones.
there are 31 countries including Canada(here is a LIST) that have nuclear power only 8 of of the 31 have weapones.
Iran is asking to have power but the worry is if they have hidden intentions to develope weapones. |
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| The Highroller |
| quote: | Originally posted by GQ_IRAQI
meh we're pure hypocrits to stop everyone else from developing nuclear technology when we have it ourselves... are we on sum sort of pedestal that makes us special? if we want the world to stop... we gotta throw away our nukes... and i dont see that happening any time soon... |
It's about principal. If we let Iran develop nuclear technology, then other countries are going to say, "Hey, if Iran was allowed to develop nuclear technology, why can't we?" Then you have a problem. Besides, given the current government in place, Iran isn't exactly the ideal country to even have at risk of developing nuclear weapons.
Correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I'm pretty sure the reason global society does not want Iran to develop nuclear technology is because they are are not being cooperative with the IAEA. |
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| Moral Hazard |
| quote: | Originally posted by Plump Funk
there are 31 countries including Canada(here is a LIST) that have nuclear power only 8 of of the 31 have weapones. |
Only 7 have declared and are confirmed to have weapons; USA, UK, France, Russia, China, Pakistan, and India. North Korea has declared themselves to be a nuclear power but have not conducted any tests. Isreal is suspected of being a nuclear power, largely due to their military relationship with the US. Canada likely has US owned nuclear weapons on our soil (launch systems were installed near North Bay back in the 60s.... at that time it was said the warheads would be kept in Detroit and taken to North Bay and installed if needed.... if you understand the time constraints of ICBMs then you understand this is simply not possible therefore it is suspected the missles are armed). South Africa was a nuclear power but they have since destroyed their stockpile. |
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| Plump Funk |
| quote: | Originally posted by Moral Hazard
Only 7 have declared and are confirmed to have weapons; USA, UK, France, Russia, China, Pakistan, and India. North Korea has declared themselves to be a nuclear power but have not conducted any tests. Isreal is suspected of being a nuclear power, largely due to their military relationship with the US. Canada likely has US owned nuclear weapons on our soil (launch systems were installed near North Bay back in the 60s.... at that time it was said the warheads would be kept in Detroit and taken to North Bay and installed if needed.... if you understand the time constraints of ICBMs then you understand this is simply not possible therefore it is suspected the missles are armed). South Africa was a nuclear power but they have since destroyed their stockpile. |
the 8th that i added was North Korea not Canada, didnt NK confirm they had them? |
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| Moral Hazard |
| quote: | Originally posted by Plump Funk
the 8th that i added was north korea, didnt they confirm they had them? |
NK declared they had them but have not tested them and no intellegence (made public anyway) has confirmed it. They did test a launching system (which could carry a nuclear warhead) that was capable of hitting Japan but they have not tested any warhead. |
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| drgoodvibe |
You know what I can't understand? Maybe someone can clarify..
North Korea confirms, that it has Nuclear Weapons, nuclear technology and so on. Yet Iran that still has a long way to go in order to produce nuclear weapons causes the international community to stir.
Am I wrong, or hasn't North Korea been just as great a threat as Iran has to the international community?
Am I wrong, or hasn't North Korea effectively extorted, money, oil, food and etc.. by leveraging it's nuclear power from the U.S and other countries?
Am I wrong, or doesn't the international community seem a bit hypocritical by using diplomacy with North Korea and force with Iran? |
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| Moral Hazard |
| quote: | Originally posted by drgoodvibe
You know what I can't understand? Maybe someone can clarify..
North Korea confirms, that it has Nuclear Weapons, nuclear technology and so on. Yet Iran that still has a long way to go in order to produce nuclear weapons causes the international community to stir.
Am I wrong, or hasn't North Korea been just as great a threat as Iran has to the international community?
Am I wrong, or hasn't North Korea effectively extorted, money, oil, food and etc.. by leveraging it's nuclear power from the U.S and other countries?
Am I wrong, or doesn't the international community seem a bit hypocritical by using diplomacy with North Korea and force with Iran? |
North Korea claims to have nuclear weapons, they have not confirmed this (no test = no confirmation).
North Korea and Iran are very different situations. First - North Korea does not have the industrial capacity to manufacture weapons on a large scale.... Iran does. Second - North Korea is willing to negotiate with the international community.... Iran is not. Third - Iran has the capacity to use it's weapons (if developed) against several of the US's friends and economically important areas.... North Korea really only threatens Japan. Fourth - North Korea is motivated by economic concerns..... Iran is motivated by ideology. Fifth - North Korea is situated in a relatively stable area of the world.... Iran, not so much.
I think the first and fourth are the most significant of all. The world is pretty certain that the North Koreans do not have the resources to actually develop a viable nuclear program and they can be easily bought off for minimal economic concessions. Iran on the other hand could aquire the resources to develop a viable program and their ideological motivations are not easily dealt with. |
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| drgoodvibe |
| quote: | Originally posted by Moral Hazard
North Korea claims to have nuclear weapons, they have not confirmed this (no test = no confirmation).
North Korea and Iran are very different situations. First - North Korea does not have the industrial capacity to manufacture weapons on a large scale.... Iran does. Second - North Korea is willing to negotiate with the international community.... Iran is not. Third - Iran has the capacity to use it's weapons (if developed) against several of the US's friends and economically important areas.... North Korea really only threatens Japan. Fourth - North Korea is motivated by economic concerns..... Iran is motivated by ideology. Fifth - North Korea is situated in a relatively stable area of the world.... Iran, not so much.
I think the first and fourth are the most significant of all. The world is pretty certain that the North Koreans do not have the resources to actually develop a viable nuclear program and they can be easily bought off for minimal economic concessions. Iran on the other hand could aquire the resources to develop a viable program and their ideological motivations are not easily dealt with. |
That clarifies things! |
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